The invention relates to a method of attaching an electronic identification device having an electronic identification means to a vehicle body.
The invention further relates to an electronic identification device for being attached to a vehicle body by the method proposed.
During assembling the vehicle, vehicle bodies are to be identifiable already in the factory of the vehicle manufacturer at any point in time and in a definite manner. It is for this reason that hitherto so-called xe2x80x9cbar codesxe2x80x9d are attached to the body directly after their manufacture. These are accommodated at places which in some cases are difficult to access, and they have to be read in by a manual scanner in each assembling station. In order to simplify this process of reading-in, there is the desire of employing an electronic identification device which for instance comprises an identification means in form of a memory chip (TAG), in order to make possible a remote inquiry by means of, for example, a transponder for identifying the body.
Such an employment of an electronic identification device, however, has not been realized up to now, because the body has to pass through various steps of manufacture, among other things e.g. galvanizing or painting, in which an electronic identification device would only be impeding.
Therefore, it is the object of the invention to provide a method with which employing an electronic identification device in the process of manufacture of the body is made possible.
This is achieved in a method of attaching an electronic identification device having an electronic identification means to a vehicle body, which comprises the following steps:
a) prior to at least one of the steps painting and galvanizing the body, the identification device is attached to the body by means of a spacer in such a way that the identification device is spaced away from the body;
b) following painting and galvanizing, the identification device is permanently arrested on the body without being detached in the meantime from the body.
The attachment method according to the invention provides for that immediately after its manufacturexe2x80x94i.e. prior to galvanizing/paintingxe2x80x94the body is permanently connected with the identification device, with the spacer being in use only temporarily, namely among other things during the galvanizing/painting process, for preventing that the identification device contacts the body which would render a complete painting or galvanizing of the body impossible. Only the small spacer is in contact with the body. Subsequently, however, the identification device is permanently attached to the body, preferably in a non-detachable manner, which means that detaching could only be done by destroying.
In case that the identification device consists of several parts detachably connected with each other, the identification means itself is permanently arrested on the body in step a).
The spacer is, for example, a plastic band or a plastic cord which has a certain resistance to bending. Further, the identification device is attached to the body at such a place that it hangs down from the body during painting. The plastic band or plastic cord has such a resistance to bending that it prevents the identification device from striking against the body when the latter moves during painting or galvanizing.
One embodiment makes provision that in step b) the identification means is arrested on the body by means of a one-way latching connection. The one-way latching connection is to prevent a detaching of the arresting, at the same time, however, make possible a quick arresting.
In order to reduce the costs for the identification device it is provided for that an identification means, which is of a very simple and low-cost structure, is detachably coupled with a transponder which is part of the identification device. The unit thus produced is attached to the body in step a). The transponder, which may be relatively expensive and may also have a larger volume, is preferably separated from the identification means after manufacture of the vehicle and is reusable.
An expendable protective housing is to shield the transponder towards outside, in particular during galvanizing or painting. In a step c), the protective housing and the transponder are removed from the identification means, and the transponder is reused by it being placed on another identification means and being coupled-with the latter.
As already mentioned, the invention also relates to an electronic identification device adapted to be attached to a vehicle body by means of the mentioned method, with the vehicle body having a mounting hole for attaching the identification device. The identification device according to the invention has an identification means and a spacer which temporarily links the identification device with the body. The spacer has an attachment, i.e. an attachment means, for arresting the spacer on the body. There is also provided a non-detachable attachment on the identification device for permanently arresting the identification device directly on the body. The identification device, thus, has two attachments which are used successively and which each provide for a different distance of the identification device from the body. When the spacer is in use, the remainder of the identification device does not contact the body. Afterwards, however, the identification device can be permanently and directly arrested on the body by means of the non-detachable attachment, without previously detaching this device from the body.
If a one-way latching connection is provided, by means of which the identification devicexe2x80x94preferably the identification means itselfxe2x80x94is permanently arrested on the body, this latching connection may be configured e.g. as a bayonet lock. The bayonet lock allows a quick coupling action between identification device and body by pressing and rotating. The bayonet lock consists of teeth on the edge surrounding the mounting hole and of counter teeth on the identification means; here, teeth and counter teeth should be adapted to each other such that they mutually latch with each other after arresting and prevent the identification means from moving in the direction of detachment.
If the teeth and counter teeth are adapted to each other such that they rest against each other with an axial prestress after having been latched, then the identification means lies against the body with an axial prestress and can not rattle.
According to the preferred embodiment the identification device has a transponder which is detachably connected with the identification means and provided for reading out the data on the identification means, as well as a protective housing surrounding the transponder, these parts forming a unit. The protective housing is connected with the identification means preferably by means of a screw-and-latch connection, so that the transponder is disposed between the protective housing and the identification means. In this arrangement, the screw-and-latch connection and the one-way latching connection in form of the bayonet lock are designed such that these two connections have opposite directions of rotation for closing. With this, the identification device can be inserted in the mounting hole and turned in one direction to achieve latching, and subsequently the protective housing is simply turned in the opposite direction to detach the protective housing together with the transponder from the identification means.
So that no sabotage can be practiced during the passing of the vehicle in the factory of the vehicle manufacturer, the protective housing can not be detached from the identification means, for example to remove the transponder, without destruction. A latching tab and a nose are adapted to each other such that the latching tab is destroyed when the protective housing is removed from the identification means.